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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a song
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — a signal
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kid — child
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com